Page 12 of Dating the Don

Maeve glances up at me and I see that she’s not cowering at all. The tears that linger in her waterline aren’t of sadness but rage.

I want desperately to brush those tears off but I don’t dare let myself touch her. Not yet. If I do, I might only trigger that infamous temper of hers. Normally, I would be happy to back her up in whatever she is angry about, but perhaps best not my mother. Maeve has always loved her and normally goes out of her way to take care of her under all circumstances, so if she allows her temper to get the better of her, I know she’s going to feel bad about it afterward..

“She’s untried, Cristiano. My son, we do not know the strength of her mettle,” Annalisa tries again, gentler this time.

“She has entered into this engagement with her eyes open and if she is going to trust us, then we will all have to trust her in turn.”

Time to exit the conversation. Mother can sit here and stew on it for as long as she feels necessary.

“I hope that you come around, in time.” I take Maeve’s hand in my own and start to lead us both out.

“Maeve,” Annalisa calls, sternly enough that Maeve actually stops and looks at her, rage in her eyes. “How much?”

“Pardon?” Maeve asks.

Whatever is about to come out of my mother’s mouth next is not going to end well.

“How much do you want?” Annalisa stands, re-wrapping her robe around herself and looking only at her. Smart. She wouldn’t withstand my temper as well as the one of the woman beside me. “You can’t have nearly enough saved up yet for enrollment at the academy you’ve been dreaming about. I’ll foot the bill for that one, or even the studio school in France that I know you’ve looked into. I’ll write you a check right now for the tuition and full living expenses for the next ten years. All you have to do is break off this foolish engagement and walk away from my son and this family right now.”

I think my jaw actually drops.

I knewthat she typically wouldn't mind going above and beyond to achieve her goals. But to go this far? Maeve moves forward as though she is going to respond but to be honest, I don't care to hear what she has to say.

I push her away and stand between the two women. “This is too much, even for you, Mother. I have made my choice and if you try to undermine my decision again, then that just gives me another situation to deal with.”

The threat is obvious as it hovers in the air between us.

“We shall have a formal engagement party in one week. I expect you to have come to your senses by then.”

I pull Maeve out of the room and allow the bedroom door to slam shut behind us. I swear, a gunfight would have been easier to handle than this.

CHAPTER SEVEN

MAEVE

Later that Night

I feel like I’m frothing at the mouth.

Who does she think she is? Have I ever given the impression that I am a woman who can be bought? Is this truly what she thinks of me? My whole life has been spent with this family and after my mother’s death, Annalisa did so damned much for me. I thought she cared about me, I thought itmeantsomething?!

Cristiano’s hand bands around my arm, stopping me in my path.

I hadn’t even realized that I was automatically heading in the direction of my own bedroom until he stopped me. It is just habit. He said that I should move in with him. While I do agree that his bedroom is in desperate need of color and decoration,I can’t even begin to think about all of the other things that sharing a room with him is going to imply. Assuming, of course, his mother doesn’t storm the place. I had no idea that she hated me so damned much.

I spin in Cristiano’s hold, my eyes still blurry with angry tears as I look up at him.

“You’re heading the wrong way,” he says softly. “This has to be believable to everybody. Including my mother, Ada, and the rest of the staff. I hope I don’t need to keep saying that, but you must sleep in my room. As far as everybody in this house is concerned, we have only just decided to take our love public. In for a penny…”

“In for a pound,” I mutter automatically. The same phrase that he’s used countless times.

Usually, the words are followed by him doing something daredevil or foolish, but almost always highly entertaining.

“If it bothers you so much, you can have the bed. I can sleep on the couch just as well as anywhere. It would hardly be the first time,” he says softly so that the cameras throughout the house can’t possibly pick up what he’s saying. “No one in this house will know what happens behind closed doors. As you are aware, my bedroom is one of the few places without monitors in it.”

I do. Cleaning the security room is one of my least favorite things to do. All of those employed by the Dominio family know exactly where all the cameras are and the very, very limited blind sportsavailable to them. I’ve never had anything to hide from the family so I’ve never needed them, but the bedrooms of the family are not monitored.

“Fine, but I need to get the rest of my stuff,” I answer with a sigh. It’s nothimthat I’m mad at. Not necessarily. But, it’s still hard to keep my temper in check all the same.

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